A vegan cheeseburger macaroni recipe - aka Homemade Hamburger Helper! Making a meaty, cheesy, homemade Hamburger Helper can be easier than you think, even without the animal products!
14ozvegan ground beef crumblessuch as Gardein or Abbot's Butcher
¾tspchili powder
½tspsmoked paprika
½tspgarlic granules
¼tspkosher salt
3tbsptomato paste
1lbfusilli or penne pasta
2vegan chicken or veggie boullion cubes
6cupswater
1cupshredded vegan cheddar cheese
2tsppickle juice
2tsp lemon juice
For the Cheese Sauce
1cupfrozen butternut squashthawed
½cupraw cashews
¾cupunsweetened soy milk
½tspkosher salt
½tsponion granules
½tspgarlic granules
⅛tspcayenne pepper
⅓cupnutritional yeast
Instructions
Prep
Make things easy on yourself by taking a moment to gather up all of the ingredients. Doing this first makes for smooth sailing later on!
Next, place the cashews in a bowl and pour boiling water on top. Allow them to soak while you make the vegan ground beef.
Brown the Vegan Ground Beef
Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a large pot like this one and bring the heat to medium -high. Add the vegan ground beef and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add 3/4 tsp of chili powder, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp of pepper, and 3 tbsp of tomato paste to the pot and cook for two more minutes, stirring as it cooks to encourage even browning.
Then transfer the meat to a plate and set aside.
Cook the Pasta
Return the pot to the stove (heat off) No need to wash off the caramelized bits at the bottom, that's flavor! Add 6 cups of filtered water and 2 bouillon cubes. Raise the heat, and bring to a boil, then add the pasta. Cook for 10 minutes, or 1 minute shy of the package cook time.
Make the Cheese Sauce
While the pasta is cooking, drain the water from the cashews and place them in a blender with 1 cup of butternut squash, 3/4 cup soy milk, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp onion granules, 1/2 tsp garlic granules, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, and 1/3 cup nutritional yeast. Blend for 20-30 seconds until super smooth and creamy.
Assemble
Ladle out 1¼ cup of the pasta water and set it aside for later. Then drain the remaining liquid from the pasta. Return the noodles to the pot and return the pot to the stove.
Add 1 cup of the reserved pasta water along with the Cheese Sauce, 1 cup of vegan cheese, and the reserved vegan ground beef. Set the heat to medium and cook for 3-5 minutes, mixing well to emulsify the sauce.Tip: if the pasta sauce gets too thick, add the remaining 1/4 cup of pasta water. If it seems to runny, continue cooking and stirring until a thick, glossy sauce is formed.
Finishing Touches
Just before serving, add 2 tsp of pickle juice and 2 tsp of fresh lemon juice to the pasta and stir to combine. Serve immediately and enjoy the delicious and nostalgic flavors of this hearty Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper!